Taxi driver feared for his life as Peterborough man launched 'vicious' hammer attack in road rage assault

A Peterborough man who left a taxi driver with a broken arm after launching a ‘vicious’ road rage attack with a hammer has been jailed for more than five years.

Sam Claydon’s victim said he ‘thought it was the end’ as Claydon swung the hammer at his head in August 2020.

The attack was witnessed by a 9-year-old child, leaving the youngster ‘traumatised.’

Following the assault, 39-year-old Claydon went on the run, but was eventually arrested and brought to justice.

On Thursday he was jailed for five and a half years at Cambridge Crown Court, with Judge Jonathan Seely describing the attack as ‘vicious and sustained.’

Duncan O’Donnell, prosecuting said the incident happened in Cambridge on August 14.

He said: “The licenced taxi driver pulled onto Huntingdon Road on his way to pick up a fare.

"He spotted a silver Vauxhall Corsa speeding down the road. It was being driven by the defendant.

"The victim stopped at traffic lights, with the defendant stopping behind him, sounding his horn.

"As the victim pulled away, the defendant pulled ahead of him, and stopped his car in front.

"The victim turned right, which was the direction he was going to pick up his fare. Claydon pulled alongside him, forcing him to stop.

"Claydon got out of his car, and marched up to the side of the victim’s car.

"He was wielding a claw hammer – and not a small one.”

Claydon then used the hammer to smash the car’s wing mirror, before aiming a blow at the victim’s head. The taxi driver used his arm to block the blow. Claydon then struck the car again with the hammer, before again aiming a blow at the driver’s head – which was also blocked by his arm. Claydon aimed another strike at the driver, but he was able to disarm the attacker, and drive off.

Mr O’Donnell said the attack was witnessed by a number of people, including a family with a nine-year-old child, who was left traumatised by the incident. A neighbour was able to take down Claydon’s registration number, and Claydon was located by police in Godmanchester later. Officers deployed a stinger, but Claydon drove through the device, before leaving his car and losing officers in bushes. Cans of beer were found in the car’s footwell.

He was found the next morning at his sister’s home, and made no comment in police interview.

A statement from the victim was read to the court, in which he said he feared he was going to die in the attack. He said: “The day it happened, I thought it was the end. I believed he would have killed me if I hadn’t got away.”

He said he was still struggling to sleep, as he would see Claydon ‘coming at him with a hammer.’

Defending, Samantha Marsh said: “Claydon believed he had been wronged, but he accepts his behaviour was inexcusable.”

Sentencing, Judge Seely told Claydon: “This was a vicious, sustained assault on a taxi driver in an unprovoked road rage incident in which you were the instigator and aggressor from first to last.”

Claydon, of Flore Close, Peterborough pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon at a previous hearing.